Game apparatus.



No. 837,589. PATENTED DEC. 4, 1906.

T. D. SINGLETON & W. GLEASON.

GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION Hub APR.23,1906.

\ n// d J k awcwtow I 77022148 Lsw glezax WWW-ea WLJZz a/w 62 015 2! m: menus Fsn-ns ca, wAsnmc-mu, n. a

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS D. SINGLETON AND WILLIAM GLEASON, OF PROVIDENCE,

RHODE ISLAND.

GAME APPARATUS- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 4, 1906.

Application filed April 23, 1906. Serial No. 313,133.

To all 11/72/0712 it mlrtg concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS D. SINGLE- TON and \VILLIAM GLEASON, citizens of the United States, residing at the city of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in game apparatus, which consists, essentially, of an especially-designed bat having a handle at one end and a broad flattened portion near its opposite end, said flattened portion being provided with a plurality of recesses distributed around the face of the same. A special feature of the construction of this bat is that the center of this flattened portion is pro vided with a raised boss that projects somewhat above the surface of the same and has a recessed portion similar to the others that are located around it. Attached to this bat by means of a string is the playing-ball. To play the game, the bat is held in the hand and by giving it a quick upward stroke the ball, which is attached to the end of the string, is thrown into the air, the object being to catch the ball in its descent and retain it in one of the said recesses of the bat. These recesses are each numbered to represent a certain value, as 1, 2,3, 4, and the center, which is raised, is marked 10 on account of requiring more skill to lodge the ball therein.

The game may be played by a single player or by two or more, if desired, and as it requires a greater degree of skill to lodge the ball in the recesses marked with the higher numbers the game becomes very interesting.

Another feature of the invention is that the same is exceedingly simple in construction and that it may be manufactured and sold at an exceedingly reasonable price.

The invention is fully set forth in this specification, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in elevation of our improved bat, showing the ball attached thereto by the string, also illustrating the recesses around the face of the bat, together with the boss forming the center raised portion. Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, representing the recesses in the face of the bat, also the center raised portion as being countersunk into the face of the bat; Fig. 3 represents the staple by which the string is attached to the end of I the bat and also attached to the ball.

Referring to the drawings, at 10 is the body of the bat, which is preferably constructed from thin flat material, such as a board or the like, and made substantially circular in shape at one end and having a handle 11 extending therefrom of suitable length and size. The essential feature of this bat is that it is provided with a plurality of recesses distributed around the face or flattened portion of the bat, live of these recesses 1, 2, 3, 4, and 10 being shown; but any desired number may be employed.

An important feature which renders the game very interesting is the arrangement of the center recess, which is surrounded by a boss or collar raising the same somewhat above the face of the bat and rendering the lodging of the ball in this recess much more diflicult than into those formed in the surface of the bat. This boss or collar 12 is preferablyconstructed separate and independent from the bat portion and countersunk into the face of the same at 13 to better support and hold it in position therein. This boss is then fastened by means of glue and nails or screws or in any suitable manner.

At 14 is a ball of suitable size, preferably constructed of wood, and attached to the outer end of the bat at 15 by means of the string 16. For convenience in attaching this string both to the bat and to the ball we have provided staples 17 17, which may be driven into each and to which the string is secured.

By the use of our improved construction of bat the game is rendered veryinteresting as considerable skill is required to lodge the ball in the recesses formed in the surface thereof, more particularly so on account of the raised center portion, which not only makes it diflicult to lodge the ball in the center recess, but also renders it much more diflicult to lodge the ball in any of the other recesses, as when the ball falls on the bat it is likely to strike the side of this raised portion and be thrown entirely from the face of the bat.

The game is interesting to play and or simple, practical, and an inexpensive construction.

Having thus described our invention,what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is-

1. A game apparatus comprising a bat having a handle and an enlarged flattened body portion, said body portion being provided with a plurality of recesses in its face, a raised portion on the face of said bat also provided with a recess, and a ball attached to said bat by means of a cord and adapted to be thrown into the air and caught in one of said recesses in the bat.

2. A game apparatus comprising a bat having a handle and an enlarged flattened body portion, said body portion being provided with a plurality of recesses in its face, a portion raised from the center of the flattened surface of said bat, said portion also being provided with a recess, said raised portion being formed separate and independent of said bat and countersunk therein, and a ball attached to said bat by means of a cord and adapted to be thrown into the air by a movement of said bat and caught in one of the recesses therein.

3. A game apparatus comprising a bat having a handle and an enlarged flattened body portion, said body portion being provided with a plurality of recesses in its face, said recesses being numbered to represent certain values by which to count the score, a boss or collar fixed to the face of said bat to form a comparatively high wall around the center recess, and a ball attached to said bat by means of a cord and adapted to be thrown into the air by the movement of said bat to be caught and lodged in one of said recesses therein.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

HOWARD E. BARLOW, E. I. OGDEN. 

